Conventional manufacturing utilizes work stations equipped with work-piece processors such as robots that perform manufacturing tasks on work-pieces. For example, a bare sheet metal door panel may arrive at a work station at an automotive assembly plant and after the robot performs its manufacturing task(s), it may leave the work station with additional components attached to it or it may be joined to a second work-piece, or the like.
To accomplish its manufacturing task(s), the robot will typically pick up the work-piece from a first location, known variously as a tool, a buck or a table, and will then move the work-piece to a second location where the manufacturing task(s) will be performed by the robot or by another work-piece processor or both or an operator. Afterwards, the work-piece may be moved to a third location where it can be retrieved by a second robot associated with a second work station.
To pick up, hold, and manipulate the work-piece, conventional robots utilize end effectors. An end effector conventionally includes a metal frame with pneumatic clamps mounted at positions that coincide with grab points on the work-piece. When the robot extends the end effector towards a table to reach for a work-piece, the pneumatic clamps will align with the grab points on the work-piece. When the pneumatic clamps are actuated, the robot can move and manipulate the work-piece.
Other types of conventional work-piece processors are also configured to accommodate a specific work-piece. For example, the table may also be equipped with pneumatic clamps that are configured to hold the work-piece and to present the work-piece at a known orientation. Other work-piece processors at the work station may also have clamps, alignment pins, applicators, or other devices that are aligned with specific portions of the work-piece. For example, a fender squaring fixture may be equipped with pneumatically actuated alignment pins that simulate the presence of bolts which may be temporarily extended by the fender squaring fixture and inserted into bolt holes in the work-piece. When inserted, the alignment pins can ensure proper alignment of the work-piece as the work-piece is joined to another component by the fender squaring fixture.
Because conventional work-piece processors are configured to accommodate a specific work-piece having a specific configuration, if a manufacturer desires to process different work-pieces at a work station, multiple work-piece processors and/or end effectors must be present at the work station. For example, if an automotive manufacturer wishes to process two different types of vehicle door panels at a single work station, then that work station will require two different tables, each table being tailored to grasp and present the two different door panels. The robot at the work station will require two different end effectors, each end effector being tailored to grasp and present the two different door panels.
While requiring the presence of two tables and two end effectors is an adequate solution, there is room for improvement. For example, if a manufacturer desired to process three, four, or more components through a single work station, the demand for floor space to accommodate multiple tables to support the work-piece and multiple tables to support each end effector may exceed the floor space that is available at the work station.
Earlier attempts to resolve this floor space limitation included providing a relocation device that was configured to be positioned between the pneumatic clamps and the frame of an end effector. The relocation device was configured to move the pneumatic clamps with respect to the frame of the end effector and in this manner, the end effector could be reconfigured to accommodate differently contoured work-pieces. The relocation device utilizes a large servo motor to reposition the pneumatic clamps and to hold the pneumatic clamps in place while they are clamped down on a work-piece.
Again, this solution is adequate, but leaves room for improvement. One limitation of this solution is that the servo motor is very large and, correspondingly, very heavy. Because each pneumatic clamp will require its own relocation device, the high weight of the relocation device is multiplied by the number of pneumatic clamps used by each robot. This, in turn, greatly adds to the weight that the robot is required to move and manipulate.
Accordingly, it is desirable to provide a lightweight device that allows each work-piece processor to adapt to accommodate multiple components having different configurations. In addition, it is desirable to provide a method of assembly line manufacture that allows the processing of multiple types of components through an assembly line work station having work-piece processors that are configured to adapt to accommodate differently configured component. Furthermore, other desirable features and characteristics of the present disclosure will become apparent from the subsequent detailed description and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and the foregoing technical field and background.